Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis

“Where are you going, where have you been” by Joyce Carol Oates In the short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” author Joyce Carol Oates depicts the main character as a fifteen year old daydreamer. Her name is Connie, and she is obsessed with her appearance. Connie’s mother constantly teases her about looking in the mirror and always obsessing over her looks. Connie believes her mother does this because her own looks have faded. Connie has an older sister, June. June is constantly praised by her mother. Connie does look up to her sister in one way. She admires how her sister goes out with her friends. Connie’s best friends’ father took them to a shopping plaza and dropped them off. Instead of shopping, they walked to
The man mumbled, “Gonna get you, baby,” as they walked away. One Sunday, Connie’s family planned to go to a barbeque. Connie refused to go. After her family left, Connie started to daydream. A little while later she heard a car come up the driveway. She got scared and was worried about how she looked. She didn’t recognize the two boys and the car at first, but she eventually recognized the driver. He was the same boy she had seen at the drive in. The boy was trying to influence Connie in to getting in the car with him. Connie refused to go with him. Connie kept telling him that she didn’t know who he was. He introduced himself as Arnold Friend, and he introduced the person in the passenger seat as Ellie. His name was written on his car amongst many other things. He said he knew all about her friends and family. Connie wanted to know why she had never met him, if he knew all her friends. Arnold pointed out that in fact she had seen him at the drive in and that he knew everyone. Arnold explained that the X he drew in the air at the drive in was his sign. Connie asked Arnold how old he was, realizing he was much older than she was. She looked at Ellie and saw that he looked like,” a forty year